Wildest Dreams
by Aesthetic Butterfly
Summary: "You can hear it in the silence, you can feel it on the way home, you can see it with the lights out. You're in love. True love." - Taylor Swift - JC/OC
1. Chapter 1 - Forks

**A/N:** This story will probably not go along with the plot of the Twilight series, since I haven't read them in years and I have no interest in re-reading them. To the best of my ability, I will try to keep it somewhere between Eclipse/Breaking Dawn (the movies aren't on Netflix either so I really am screwed for canon - sorry!). I was just bummed about how Meyer ended Jacob's story - I do not believe that, as a werewolf, he could possibly imprint on Renesmee, so this is what I would prefer to happen. I will most likely Bella-bash, so my apologies. I have rated this "M" due to mature language and possible sexual themes later on.

**DISCLAIMER:** the summary quote is from the song "You're in Love" by Taylor Swift, which I just thought really went along well with what I have been thinking about plot-wise for this story. All due respect and rights to her, of course. Also, I clearly do not own the Twilight series... or things would have been exceedingly different. Stephanie Meyer is the author behind a select number of characters, and also the back-stories, etc. The events in this story will be (mostly) mine, unless I somehow manage to stick to canon for certain aspects.

I would appreciate any feedback you have, and I am completely open to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism (i.e. don't be a tool about it). So, without further ado... Enjoy!

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**Chapter One - Forks**

_Inhale through the nose, slowly. _

The sharp, crisp scent of autumn invaded my nostrils. The distinctive pine trees, the earthy smell of moss and soil, and the barely noticeable aroma of crab-apples. The fragrances brought a smile to my face.

_Exhale through the mouth, slowly._

The moss underneath my body, the crunch of the leaves beneath my left arm, and the cool shade from the boulder to my right blessed me with their textures.

_Inhale through the nose, slowly._

The sound of slowly trickling water, of small insects roaming through the brush, and the occasional call of a native bird assaulted my ears.

_This bullshit is not going to get me through the first day of school. I can't exactly just lay down in the middle of the classroom and "attune myself to my surroundings." That's a sure-fire way to get my ass kicked, not to calm me down._

Sighing deeply, I stood up and brushed my shirt and jeans off, checking the silver watch on my wrist as I did. _It's nearly a quarter to three and I have not done a single thing Virginia has asked me to do. _At least I had two hours to get back to my sister's "new house" and try to get some of the chores done that she had left for me. A hastily scribbled note on top of an unpacked box in the kitchen had demanded that I unpack at least five boxes and finish getting my bedroom organized (the five boxes did not count if they are my own – how is that even fair?).

I began the trek back to Virginia's house, following the deer-trail I had discovered on our first day as residents of Forks, Washington. The trail led neatly into the back lawn of the small, one-storey home that had been left to Virginia in our father's will. I say father without too much warmth – I hadn't seen the man since I was ten years old. Neither Virginia nor I had even known that he was dying. He had made no effort to contact either of us.

Our grandmother had raised Virginia and I since our father left. Virginia's mom was around a lot too, but she had never been able to afford to keep Virginia with her at all times. Virginia's mom had only been sixteen when she had given birth, and her parents had kicked her out at the tender age of twenty. So, Grammie Agatha had taken Virginia in for her mother when she was four years old. Agatha was our father's mother, she was the kind of woman who was always willing to help other people, no matter what the cost to herself. Our father, or Wilson as we normally refer to him, was around sparingly. He normally was never sober enough to parent us. When he finally disappeared, I don't think Virginia missed him any more than I did.

The trail wound through some of the most beautiful foliage I had ever seen, and coming from a small province in Canada, I had seen some true beauty. The trees were gigantic, the forest virtually untouched by humans. _This place reminds me so much of home, and I am truly thankful for it._ I thought, allowing myself a smile. Though I had made the choice to move to this tiny little town by the ocean, I knew it was really the only decision I could make. Virginia knew just as well as I that the only reason this move had happened was because Virginia wanted a "new beginning," and she knew that I would never forgive myself if I just let her go by herself.

And so, I find myself in an entirely different country, in a town named after a dinner utensil, in the home that my drug-addict father had lived in, with nobody except for my sister. _What a splendid idea, really a top-notch plan you had when you agreed to move down here. _

The walk back to the house took longer than I thought it would, and I arrived at the house – at home, I suppose – at three o'clock sharp. I entered through the screen-door at the rear of the one-story, which had nothing but a tiny set of stairs leading to the door and a few slabs of stone forming a square-shape around said stairs. Virginia had been so excited when she saw that there was "a place for a barbeque!"

The screen door led straight into a small porch area, which housed the washing machine and drier, and also a small shelf for shoes and a line of hangers for coats. I slipped out of my sneakers and set them on the shelf, then entered the house proper through a dark-green door. The kitchen was to my left and a small bathroom to my right. If I kept following the small hallway, it would lead to the living room, then break right into another hallway. This was where the main bathroom and the two bedrooms were. I had chosen the bedroom that faced the backyard, so I could have a nice view of the trees. Virginia hadn't minded, she liked being able to look out her windows and see the street-light that stood vigilant at the bottom of the driveway.

I turned right and walked into the kitchen, where I decided I might as well unpack the remaining three boxes. Though I had protested that the kitchen be the first to be unpacked, Virginia simply hated structure. She had flitted from one room to the next, unpacking willy-nilly, until she got bored and moved on to another room.

Thankfully, Virginia had landed a job at the nearby grocery store. It was full-time too, which was even more amazing. She had flown down, thanks to the aide of Agatha and the church Agatha had belonged to since the beginning of time, and gone on a mad hunt for a job so she could sustain us living in the house before we packed up and moved. What was more surprising was that Wilson had paid the mortgage off on the house, so that was one bill we luckily did not have to worry about.

I sorted through the first box I found, not looking forward to the next two hours if all it included were cheese graters and coffee mugs. I had already unpacked the vast majority of the odds and ends we had collected just before we moved. Once again, Agatha and her church-going fellows had pulled through for us and found us all of the necessities we would need to move into a home. Most of our things were hand-me-downs or products of the dollar stores and flea markets. I didn't mind in the slightest – I was grateful that we were able to gain all of these things with such ease.

The hours passed by slowly, as I agonizingly placed and cleaned all of the remaining items that would belong in the kitchen. I had just started working on the main bathroom when I heard, rather than saw, Virginia blow into the house. I finished placing the cleaner under the sink, then turned to face the wrath that would be my sister. I exited the bathroom and stood within view of the front door.

"Lucy!" Virginia cried as she hopped on one foot, trying vainly to pull her shoe off the foot in the air. "My first day went _great_!" She was beaming as she finally ripped her shoe off and threw it to the floor by the door. The front door opened up to a mat that I had placed there earlier in the day that I had found in one of the "miscellaneous" boxes that had been donated to us by the church. It pictured a little birdhouse with a blue jay, and the word "welcome" emblazoned across it.

"That's awesome," I replied as I leaned against the wall. _Maybe if she keeps talking, she won't notice that I didn't finish everything on her damn list. _"I'm glad you're enjoying it." I waited for her response, knowing that I would not have to say much and she would open up about what was so fantastic. _Probably a boy that brought this bout of happiness around,_ I thought to myself, as Virginia never went too long without some suitor or another trying to impress her.

The only thing that Virginia and I had in common physically was our hair color. Her dark brown locks hung straight and perfect, a little past her shoulders. She wore dark-rimmed glasses which framed her big brown eyes gorgeously. Virginia had big hips and a tiny waist, with the chest to go along with it. In my eyes, she's pretty much perfect when compared to me. My dark brown hair may go to the middle of my back, but it had unruly curls that had a mind of their own. Where she was tall and curvaceous, I was short and willowy.

"Well," she began dramatically as she ushered me into the living room, "I'm not really sure how to explain it. Everyone around here is just so _nice_ to me!" I grinned at her, thinking that it was probably more the fact that she was sexy than the people around here being nice.

"That's good," I responded, not entirely sure if she even needed a reply as her gaze seemed to be locked on something far over my shoulder.

She seemed to snap out of it with a smile, "I hope your first day of school tomorrow goes just as well as my first day of work did. I saw a few boys that looked your age, and let me just say –"

"Yeah, how about you do not say and that way you won't sound like a pedophile?" I smiled brightly at her, attempting to end this thread of conversation before it began.

"Oh, shut up," she frowned. "They may be too young for me, but that doesn't mean I can't tell if they aren't handsome." She raised one eyebrow, a coy look spreading across her face. "Plus, the _older_ guys are lookers too. Some of the girls at work were telling me about a family called the Cullins, I guess they are to die for. Apparently the younger ones attend the same school you're going to start tomorrow."

"That's nice," I said, feigning a yawn. This was where Virginia and I differed the most. I had only ever been in one serious relationship, whereas Virginia made it a life's ambition to find her soul mate – which usually meant "testing out" every guy she came into contact with. Not that I found my sister promiscuous, she was just a little too… _out there_ for me. I preferred friendships over relationships. I was not convinced that true love existed, as my sister was, and I definitely had no interest in finding it at my age regardless.

Virginia shook her head, "this place is a start-over for us, Luce. Just give it a try will you, and actually put some effort in maybe? Your friends are long ways away now, and you'll get tired of my company eventually."

I smiled softly at her, "I will try tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that…" I looked down at the hardwood floors. "But it's going to take some time before I start making friends, you know."

Virginia grinned mischievously, "we'll see about that."


	2. Chapter 2 - Invaded Space

Hey guys! Sorry for the slightly slow update - I am hoping to have a chapter out weekly though! Also, I changed the title to "Wildest Dreams" because I feel that it suits my story a little better, and I didn't think "Of Fears and Ghosts" flowed all that well.

Quickly wanted to thank those that reviewed and favourited! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Don't forget to drop me a review to let me know what you think! :)

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_Inhale through your nose, slowly._

I was meticulously brushing my hair, staring at myself in the mirror. I had donned some light make-up around my eyes, to make their green hue really pop out. I thought that my eyes were my most attractive feature, and if I wanted to have a good first day, I should probably at least attempt to not look like a potato.

I had decided on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a wine-red, three-quarter-sleeve shirt. The shirt was one of my favourites; it made my boobs look much more impressive than they were, and also had lace in the back – which I thought was pretty cute. My hair was not a gigantic mass of tangles for once (hence the repetitive brushing, which had been going on for some time), but it was still not perfect. It would never be perfect, but I continued to stubbornly brush it.

_Exhale through your mouth, slowly._

My anxiety was through the roof this morning, so much so that I thought my heart might beat right out of my chest. The breathing exercises were helping, but not as much as the psychologist back home had promised they would. However, it was better than popping some form of medication or another.

I forced myself to set the hair brush down, and twirled once more in the floor-length mirror I had received for a birthday some odd years ago. It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't horrible either. _It's probably best to not look great, that way nobody is disappointed when I start getting too lazy to do this shit._

"Hey shorty, let's go already!" Virginia bellowed to me from the kitchen, or some area near there. "I have to go to work after I drop you off, don't forget!"

I closed my eyes for a moment, mentally rallying myself for the day ahead. I nodded, grabbed my backpack from my freshly-made bed, my cellphone from the nightstand, and I was off – like a herd of turtles.

I shuffled into the living room to find Virginia pacing the floor, already dressed for work and wearing her shoes. I sighed and walked a little quicker to the back porch, where I had left my shoes the day before. I shoved my feet into the DC's and called to my sister that I would meet her at the car, since I didn't want to trudge my dirty shoes through the house.

I took deep breaths once I was outside, trying to cram as much of the clean, peaceful air into my lungs as possible before I had to brave the disaster that was high school. Thankfully it was only the beginning of semester, and I had missed less than a week, so it would be less uncomfortable to start off in class.

I climbed into the passenger seat of Virginia's beat-up silver Chevrolet cavalier, which she had owned for at least five years now. It was the car I had learned to drive in, the car where I had smoked my first cigarette (_ew, by the way – how do people do that all the time?_). It was a little piece of home in an unfamiliar territory.

"How excited are you?" Virginia asked as she threw the car into reverse and sped down the driveway. If she had been paying attention to me, she would have seen the death-glare I had shot her way. She knew just as well as I did that I was anything but excited. _Why did I do this to myself?_

"I just want to get this over with." I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. The sky was overcast and dreary, coinciding with my mood. "I haven't seen the sun since we moved here, did you know that?"

Virginia sighed and looked at me as we cruised down the road. "You're going to do great, stop your bitching."

"I hate you."

"If you hate me so much, why would you move down here to live with me?"

"Someone needs to take care of you."

Virginia laughed at that answer, "dude, you're five years younger than me. I think I can handle myself."

"Yeah, yeah…" I grumbled, turning my head to instead stare out the window. Virginia turned the music up on the radio, she had it set some kind of local pop station. I tapped my foot in time to the beat of the music as I mused about what the day would bring. I had never been great at making friends – I am horrible at trying to include myself when others are having a conversation. It was times like these that I envied my sister the most. She had Grammie Agatha's personality, which meant that she could talk to whoever she wanted without the slightest bit of discomfort.

The drive to the high school was shorter than I anticipated. I was hoping for more time, more time to muster my courage, more time to take in the beauty of the drive, I just simply wanted more time. Yet here I am, unbuckling my seat belt as Virginia brought the car to a halt in front of the main doors. I turned to look at her, grabbing my bag from the floor in front of my seat as I did so.

"You're going to do great, Lucy. Be yourself - I know it is cliché. I believe it with my whole heart though, that you're going to do great here. I just have a really good feeling about Forks."

"Well, I'm glad one of us does." I replied, grabbing hold of the handle and opening up the door. "I guess we'll find out, huh?"

"I guess so," she replied with a wicked grin. I stepped out of the car, raised an eyebrow at my sister, and then turned to face my doom.

The school was not as big as the one I had attended back home, but it sure as hell was more intimidating. The brick building looked as though it had been around for centuries, not to mention all of the people that were wandering around. I took a deep breath, clutched my backpack tightly, and headed inside.

I had entered into what appeared to be a lobby of some sort. There were people milling about everywhere, hollering at each other and horsing around. I drew my arms in close to my sides and shimmied my way through the crowds. I could see a large, glassed-in room with a fancy looking desk, and assumed that was where the office was.

I shoved the glass door open and practically fell into the office. A woman with large, wire-rimmed glasses looked up from her computer with a frown. "Can I help you?" She enquired, looking over the top of her glasses at me. She had her grey hair pulled up into a tight bun, and looked the part of a librarian from the movies, the kind who hated noise and teenagers.

"Yes, actually," I flashed the brightest smile I could muster, trying to thaw the cold look she was giving me. It did not work. I cleared my throat and continued, "I just moved here – I was looking for my class schedule and a locker?"

The lady deigned to not respond, and instead turned to her computer. I warily approached the desk as the lady typed away frantically. She did not even ask my name, but the printer spit out what looked like a schedule behind her.

"Lucy Evans, I will assume?" She asked as she spun her chair around and grabbed the schedule from the printer. "You're the only new student we have had this year." She proceeded to hand the schedule to me. I thanked her, and she turned back to her computer. "As for your locker…" She tapped a few buttons on her keyboard and then turned to her right, digging through a drawer that I could not see into. She pulled out a combination lock and handed that to me as well.

"The locker is in the band hallway, number seventy-four. The combination is written on the piece of tape on the back of your lock. Do not forget to take the tape off once you have memorized the numbers, if someone breaks into the locker and steals your possessions the school is not liable." She stated matter-of-factly and began leafing through a pile of papers to her left, then pulled out a map of the school. She indicated band hall to me, then handed the map over. "The classroom numbers are located underneath your teacher's name on the schedule, you shouldn't have a hard time finding your way around." Without further ado, the lady turned her head back to her computer.

"Uh, thank you." I replied, realizing that I had been dismissed. I looked down at the schedule and deduced that I had biology first. I checked the map, glanced once more at the lady behind the desk (who was doing a very good job of pretending I did not exist) and headed off to my first class.

The halls were clearing rapidly, I checked the time on my watch and my eyes widened. _How long had I been in that office for?_ I was going to be late for my first class on my first day – that's exactly what I wanted. I consulted my map and jogged off to the left side of the school, hoping that I was reading the map correctly – I hadn't exactly passed orienteering in gym previously.

I finally came to what I thought must be the biology lab, and knocked on the now-closed door, hoping against hope that I wasn't about to embarrass myself by being at the wrong classroom. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as I heard the teacher telling the class to settle down. I could see through the glass pane that he was looking rather skeptical as he approached the door. The worst part was, he was attractive as far as teachers go – he had the air of sophistication, brown hair (long by teacher's standards) that flopped across his forehead gracefully, and black-rimmed glasses that somehow accentuated his features.

"Can I help you?" He asked politely as he stuck his head out the door. _What is with everyone around here thinking I need hel- oh, it's because I do need help. _

"Um, yes. I'm looking for Mr. Henderson? I'm new and I'm supposed to be in his biology class." I could feel my face getting hot, and I knew I was blushing. _And I thought starting a week into the semester wouldn't be that bad… Ha!_

The man smiled at me, "it looks like you've come to the right place then miss…?"

"Evans," I replied in relief. "Lucy Evans is my name."

"Ah yes, I do recall your name suddenly appearing on my class roster!" Mr. Henderson opened the door wider and stepped aside so that I might enter. "Class," he called out. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me. "This is Lucy Evans, she's new to Forks. Let's give her a nice, warm welcome shall we?"

Silence. There was dead silence. _This is fantastic, absolutely perfect._ I could feel my anxiety rising inside me like some sort of great beast. It had stayed tame until this very second, because it was this very second that I was beginning to lose my cool. _Can I be struck by lightning now, or?_

Mr. Henderson frowned at the class and indicated that I could sit in the only available seat in the room, which was right beside a window. _You're a saint, Mr. Henderson._ I slipped past the silent lab tables and took up my new seat next to a girl with long, blonde hair. She looked at me as I sat down and shot me a shy smile. I smiled back slightly, quickly pulling out the textbook that I had ordered via eBay before I had even moved, and settled in to a long, two-hour class.

The rest of the day went by much smoother. I found my locker and was able to shove all of my heavy textbooks into it before getting lost again. I did end up having lunch by myself, but that wasn't entirely out of the norm for me anyway. It gave me time to explore the school and concentrate on my breathing exercises before having to go about attending brand-new classes again.

The afternoon passed quickly, without much incident. As I sat on the front steps of the school, waiting for Virginia, I observed the rest of the students racing around me. As I watched, I noticed one group of students seemed to be given a wide berth by the rest of the student body. There were four of them, two boys and two girls. Three of which were breathtakingly gorgeous – the female reminded me of a sprite, she was so small and light at this distance. The two males were dark, brooding almost. One of them was gazing at the pixie-girl with absolute rapture, while the other male had his arm around the waist of the second girl. I couldn't see anything special about her from this distance – she looked to be awkward, and did not have the attractive features of the pixie-girl. Not to say that she was _unattractive_ – just paired with those three, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

As I stared at this odd group, I heard someone plunk down on the stairs beside. I turned my head slowly, wondering who the hell was sitting there. I was relieved to find out that it was the shy girl from my biology class. She stuck her hand out to me, which I shook without even thinking about.

"You're Lucy, right?" Her voice was quiet, almost mouse-like. "I'm Penelope Waters, we have biology together… and English, too." I smiled, but I was also kind of confused – I hadn't noticed her in English class… then again, I had ducked my face when entering every class since biology and taken the seat nearest to the back of the room as possible.

"It's nice to meet you, Penelope." I looked back at the quartet I had been studying, but they were nowhere to be found. I turned back to the blonde girl beside me. "I just moved here from Canada."

Penelope nodded, "I heard." I raised an eyebrow, _wait- what?_ "Sorry I didn't talk to you in biology – I was a little distracted by Mr. Henderson." She turned tomato-red at this comment, and I had to stifle a giggle. _Someone's got a little crush on Henderson._

"That's fine," I grinned. "I can understand the distraction… he's not ugly, that's for sure." Penelope giggled and turned an even darker shade of red, if that was possible. "So, where did you hear I'm from Canada?"

"Oh, everyone's talking about you. We haven't had a new student since Isabella Swan came to town and stirred everything up… I guess everyone's wondering if you're going to do the same." Penelope smiled at me. I was starting to take back my assumption of her being shy, and instead thinking that she may just be introverted.

"Well," I started, not entirely sure of what to say to that, "I don't intend to make any waves. I like to stay below the radar." Penelope nodded and agreed with me.

As our conversation continued and the cars in the parking lot dwindled farther, I couldn't help but wonder how Penelope intended on getting home. I was just about to ask when Virginia pulled up, honking the horn. I stood up warily, looking down at Penelope.

"Don't worry about me," she waved a hand at Virginia. "My drive will be here shortly, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure," I replied with a smile. "I hope you don't have to wait around too much longer… We could probably drive you home if you'd like?"

"No, no. My dad will be here soon. He's always late." I shrugged my shoulders and waved goodbye, then turned and walked down the steps as fast as I could without appearing rude.

I jumped into the car and threw my school bag over my shoulder, heaving a sigh. I looked at Virginia's cocked eyebrow and shook my head. "Let's just go home."

_Inhale through your nose, slowly._

The smells of the forest would honestly calm me down even without me laying here on the moss-covered ground. This little clearing in the woods was going to be my "place." I would not bring anyone here, I would not tell anyone of its existence… I would simply come to here to remember that the world is a lot bigger than what I have seen, and that somewhere someone has it worse than I do. Much, much worse.

I opened my eyes and stared up at the canopy of trees, blocking out the grey clouds from my view. _I would kill to get a little bit of sunlight, though…_ I uttered a sigh and adjusted my position a little. I could live here, in the middle of the forest, without any other human contact. I would probably be that much happier if I did, too.

_Snap!_

I bolted upright and looked around me, my hair whipping back and forth. _I swear I just heard something moving in the bushes…_ I took a deep breath, slowed my movement and took a better look around. I couldn't see anything. _I guess I am not the only creature who knows about this place._ I stood up and brushed the dirt off my good clothes. _It was probably just a rabbit… a big rabbit that can break branches… yes. _

I was becoming more nervous by the second, I could sense something was in the woods – like it was right at the edge of my vision but I couldn't quite see it. I turned in a circle, twisting this way and that to try to find the source of my discomfort – but nothing.

_Snap!_

_Time to go,_ I started moving cautiously toward the path that would lead me back to the new house. I couldn't be certain where I had heard the snapping of twigs coming from, but I had a hunch that it had come from my right. I kept my gaze turned toward the denser, darker, right side of the clearing as I made my way toward the deer-trail.

I was moving as silently as I could, but quickly as I dared. I did not want to be around when this animal – whatever it was – came pelting out of the woods looking for a snack. I would not make a good snack – too bony, I think, and I've definitely got too much hair on my head to be that appetizing, right?

All of a sudden, the bushes to my left – _guess I was completely off, great survival skills _– seemed to explode outward as a gigantic – and by gigantic I mean horse-sized – reddish-colored wolf burst through the foliage just feet from me. He – _once again, I am guessing, and I could be totally wrong as proven just a moment earlier_ – gazed at me with dark, intelligent eyes, his massive tail swishing back and forth. The wolf cocked his head at me, but did not get any closer.

The breath whooshed out of me, and I halted mid-step. I suppose I was praying that wolves are like dinosaurs and can't see you if you aren't moving, though we all know that it was wishful thinking. It was then that I realized that I had no weapon, no cell phone, and was too far away to scream loud enough for someone to hear.

"Nice doggie," I whispered as I started to try to inch past, "just gotta get home… Be a nice doggie…" The wolf snorted at me, his eyes following my every move. "I mean… big, bad wolf… Yes, that's you… You just leave me alone…" I was tip-toeing past when he suddenly lunged forward. I let out an involuntary squeak of protest as the wolf was now only inches from me. I could smell his raw breath, and see the individual hairs that made up his beautiful coat of fur.

"Please don't kill me," I breathed, my body tensed for flight if the wolf came any closer. He sniffed at me, his muzzle coming closer but not inching his girth nearer. He took a deep breath and then sat back on his hunches, staring at me.

My eyes widened, but I wasn't going to waste the opportunity. I backed up a few inches and began side-stepping toward the path, keeping my body turned toward the wolf so I could keep track of where it was. Then, over his shoulder, appeared another wolf – this one completely black, except for his golden eyes. _Oh god, why me. I can't die like this. I'm too young!_

"Please don't chase me," I whispered at the rouge-coloured beast that had blocked my progress. The beast's eyes narrowed, as if he understood me. "Please," I then let my instincts take over and I turned and ran flat out as fast as my legs would take me, and I didn't stop or turn around until my feet landed on the back deck.


	3. Chapter 3 - Boyfriends and Bonfires

A/N: hey everyone, I know it's been way too long... but I was hit with inspiration, so expect another chapter out soon! (hopefully). Please don't forget to leave me a review, I love hearing what you think! The ending of this chapter may or may not be a little rushed, but I wanted to get it posted ASAP! Thanks for being so patient! xo

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_Breathe, breathe... It's going to be fine. _

I leaned against the back door, trying to catch my breath. I couldn't figure out what had happened - what were those beasts? They were too big to be wolves. They were too big to be coyotes. They had to be some sort of strange, American animal that I had never heard of before. I quickly turned around to glance out the back window, making sure that the beasts didn't follow me home. The backyard was totally vacant, nothing had followed me.

_I could have sworn that the wolf had understood me... _ I inhaled deeply. It didn't understand me. That would be ridiculous. It must have not had an interest in me. I closed my eyes, my heart rate gradually beginning to slow down. I guess I was wrong about that being my safe place... If those wolves - _beasts - monsters_ \- have already claimed it, I sure as hell am not going to try to fight them for it.

I pushed myself away from the door and pulled my shoes off slowly. _Should I tell someone? It can't be safe, having such gigantic creatures around... And so close to homes, as well. _I made up my mind: it would be best to see what Virginia had to say - after all, she might know who we should contact about something like that.

I pushed open the green door that led into the rest of the house and emerged beside the kitchen. Virginia was sitting at the table, enjoying a cup of coffee and staring at something on her cellphone with a smile on her face. I walked into the kitchen and sat down beside her at the wooden table. When we had moved down here, it had been a surprise to see that some of Wilson's stuff was still here. This old table, which I thought was beautiful, had been one of the things left. We had been told by Wilson's lawyer that the people who had been "closest to him" would be cleaning the house out. I had found that strange - we were not close to Wilson, yet he had left his house and affairs to Virginia, and here we are being told by this man we did not know, that he was close to people. Why would he leave everything to a daughter he was estranged from?

"There you are!" Virginia looked up from the phone as I sat, "I was wondering where you had gone off to. There is something that I wanted to run by you -"

"Hold that thought, I have something I need to tell you first." I interrupted Virginia before she could finish whatever she was going to say. She frowned, but gave me her full attention. "I was in the clearing today - the one I mentioned before." I clarified at the strange look she shot me: I had tried to get her to come look at it when I had first discovered it. I hadn't even looked inside the house when we first stepped out of our moving van. I had taken off to explore - and also to try to calm the tide of emotions I had been feeling at the time. "Anyway, I was down there today... And these _gigantic_ animals came out of the woods. I mean, they looked like wolves but they were the size of horses!"

Virginia raised an eyebrow at me, "are you sure you didn't just fall asleep and dream all of this?"

I glared, "I'm not crazy. You know I wouldn't make something like this up."

Virginia conceded, "no I know, just... Do you really think anyone is going to believe you? Did you get any pictures?"

"Pictures?" I asked incredulously. "Do you honestly think I stopped for a photo shoot? They were _the size of horses,_ Virginia."

"Well, if you see them again, snap a picture with your phone. I'll call the natural resources office right now though... Where was that phone book again?" Virginia stood up and turned to look toward the drawers by the sink. She moved across the small room and began opening drawers at random, looking for the phone book.

After a few minutes of watching Virginia become more and more frustrated, I walked out of the room, into the living room and sat down at the old desktop we had brought with us from our grandmothers. She had given it to us willingly, saying that we would use it much more than she ever would. Neither Virginia nor I had the internet on our cellphones: it wasn't exactly affordable.

I fired up the internet browser and looked up the number for the natural resources office. Virginia was still slamming things the next room over when I called out to her. She materialized almost instantly at my shoulder and peered at the screen. She flipped open her phone and dialled the number quickly. As she turned away and began chatting with whomever had answered the phone, I began looking for clues as to what the huge wolves were.

Oddly enough, many pages appeared labelled "werewolf." I had no idea why this would be what the internet spewed out, but I supposed that Google had finally let me down. I shook my head, but resigned myself to keep looking. I opened up a page with the unfortunate "supernatural" word in the title. I heard Virginia snap her phone closed and move back toward me. I minimized the page quickly, not needing to hear that I was crazy for the second time this evening.

"I guess you aren't the first to report something like that," Virginia's brow was furrowed in confusion, "the officer informed me that they are organizing hunting parties." She concluded.

"Oh," I replied, slightly taken aback. Sure, I was scared at the time, but now as I look back on it... The wolf didn't harm me, in fact he seemed to be curious about me. The people of Forks were just going to shoot them?

Virginia shrugged, "it's probably for the best. Wolves should not grow to that size. They could really hurt someone." She flipped her phone open again and the same smile she had had on her face when I first walked in appeared once more. "So, I was going to ask you, before I was so rudely interrupted by giant wolves..."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yeah, yeah. What did you want to ask?"

"Well... See, there's this guy..." I shook my head, _of course there is a guy, Virginia. "_He wants me to go to a beach party down on the reserve, La Push. It's kind of a big bonfire for all of the residents of the res..." I nodded, thinking she was going to ask me if I would mind watching the house or something stupid. "His name is Thunder, I met him the other day while I was working. He is so absolutely sweet, and he's Quileute." She wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Anyway, he said you can come with us too if you want. It'll get you introduced to the Quileute culture and to some kids your age."

"Kids?" I asked incredulously, not appreciating the connotation.

"Oh, you know what I mean. I'm sorry - seventeen is not a kid. You're right."

"Almost eighteen," I growled at her. "Why would I want to go to a bonfire with a couple? To sit there and be incredibly awkward all night?"

"To _meet_ people, Lucy. You need to meet people."

"I've met people!" I protested, "...a person, at least."

Virginia rolled her eyes to the ceiling, sighing deeply. "Come _on_, Lucy." She looked back at me. "Please? It could be a really good thing for you."

I shook my head, debating my options. If I didn't go, she would be mad at me for god knows how long... If I go, I'll sit there by the fire, staring awkwardly around... Or, I could just walk along the shoreline. That might be nice. Maybe, if I memorize the drive, the beach could be my new place.

"Alright, alright... I'll go, if I have to." Virginia squealed, throwing her hands up.

"You won't regret it!" She grinned at me, "Thunder said he would be here around 8 o'clock to pick us up." She winked at me, "I am gonna go get ready!"

Once Virginia was out of the room, I threw my head back and groaned at the ceiling. Why was I constantly getting myself into situations that I really did not want to take any part of?

I swivelled my chair back around to face the computer screen. I maximized the screen I had been looking at while Virginia spoke to the natural resource officer. I snorted, looking at the gruesome pictures of human bodies contorting into wolves the size of stallions. I closed the browser and shut the computer down. I wasn't going to get any reliable answers from there.

I stood and looked down at the now-wrinkled shirt I had chosen with such care this morning. _Maybe I should change?_ I thought glumly. I lifted myself off the chair and trudged into my bedroom, wondering how Virginia always got her way when it came to me.

For the second time today, I stood and contemplated my closet. I wondered if I should put on a sweater or settle for something more summer-y. I rolled my eyes to the heavens, shaking my head as I did so. _Why do I even care about what I look like?_ I grabbed a black spaghetti-strap top that hugged my lacking curves, and a long green cardigan. I shrugged and pulled the items on, then threw my hair up into an unintentionally messy bun. I scowled at my hair but figured I would never get it right, and decided to leave it. I corrected my make-up in the mirror, then went out to the living room to wait for Virginia.

I didn't have to wait long: as soon as I sat down Virginia came racing out of her bedroom, wearing a blue tank top and a pair of white skinny jeans. She winked at me and grabbed a pair of sandals from the closet by the main doorway. She looked up at me as she yanked one of the gladiator shoes on.

"You should wear sandals too, you don't want sand in your sneakers." I rolled my eyes at her, as if I hadn't already planned that. "Go get them, quick – Thunder will be here any minute!"

I forced myself out of the chair and out to the back porch, where I kept all of my shoes. I grabbed a pair of black flip-flops and slid them onto my feet. I retreated back to the living room and spun around for Virginia to see my outfit.

"I'm stunning, I know." I prompted her as I finished my twirl. I am sure I looked like a hobo standing next to Virginia, but I did not care in the slightest. She smiled at me nonetheless and applauded.

"Absolutely gorgeous," she winked, "are you trying to outdo me?"

I scoffed, "always, dear sister." She grinned and moved to look out the window. She pushed the curtain aside and craned her neck, looking this way and that. Suddenly she pulled away and smiled at me.

"He's here!" She did a little twirl and hugged me. "Please be nice," she added as an after thought, placing me at arms length and peering into my eyes.

I frowned at her, "what, do you think I'm going to sabotage your date? You're the one who invited me, remember?"

"I know, I know!" She conceded. "I just really like this guy, that's all. It's the nerves talking." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah,"

I followed Virginia's practically-bouncing body down the driveway to where Thunder had parked his newer-model Honda civic. It was blue in color and not a bad-looking rig. If it hadn't been christened the "douche-mobile" back home, I might've even liked it.

"He drives a civ? Really, Vee?" I hissed as we came upon the car. Thunder's door opened once the words had left my mouth, and Virginia completely ignored my dig.

As Thunder stood up and turned towards us, I suddenly understood why she was so panicked - and wished I had tidied myself up a little more. He was handsome, to be frank. His russet skin-tone, high cheekbones, and dark eyes displayed his rich Quileute heritage. Thunder's hair was pulled up into a neat bun on the top of his head, much neater than mine was. _I was outdone by a guy..._ I thought sadly as he rounded the car to meet us.

He opened the door for Virginia and pecked her on the cheek. She turned a cute shade of red, where I would've broken out into splotches, and she giggled. Thunder turned to me, Virginia's doorframe still in his hand. "You must be Lucy, I've heard so much about you from your sister."

"Oh?" The word was out before I could stop myself. _Funny, I've heard nothing of you until this evening. _"Hopefully it was good things." My pathetic attempt at a save. Virginia shot me a look before she ducked gracefully into the car. Thunder closed the door behind her, smiled and gestured to the back seat behind Virginia. He turned and strode back around the car.

I clambered into the backseat with much less grace than my sister, as per usual. I huffed, settling in for a more-than-likely awkward car ride and subsequent "beach bonfire party thing." _I totally should have brought headphones. I wonder if other people would find that rude?_

Thunder put the car into drive and pulled away from the house. I looked back at the white-sided bungalow that I now identified as "home." It was such a strange concept, not recognizing the place you live. I didn't have memories attached to the great big oak tree that perched precariously at the edge of the lawn, practically on top of the ditch. The small flower bed that had overgrown some years ago, did not remind me of happier times, as the one at Grammie Agatha's did.

The bungalow rested on the top of a tiny hill, though from the backyard you wouldn't know the difference. Trees surrounded the house on three sides - the road and front lawn were the exception to this, though trees lined the road on the opposite side. _At least we didn't move somewhere with deserts._ I tried to convince myself, but the forests can only bring so much comfort. They couldn't magically make my best friends from back home appear.

_Bitching about it isn't going to change anything. _I knew that I could always move back after graduation - but would I? There was nothing for me back home: nothing but my friends, I suppose. I couldn't leave my sister._ Friends come and go, but family is forever right?_

The drive was much shorter than I had anticipated, for we were suddenly pulling over into a small, make-shift parking lot. Driftwood outlined the lot, preventing vehicles from being taken down onto the sandy beach. The lot was filled with other vehicles, mostly trucks and SUVs. I climbed out of the car and inhaled deeply; the scent of the ocean was one of my favourite things. It was calming, listening to the rush of the waves and smelling the tang of salt in the air.

Virginia and Thunder seemed to have forgotten about me; Thunder had his arm wrapped around Virginia's waist and was leading her down toward a gigantic bonfire raging on the beach. I took a few more calming breaths before I lurched after my sister, not wanting to get left behind. I was hoping I would be able to blend into the background and sit in the rapidly-falling darkness, or walk along the water's edge without disturbing anyone.

I caught up to Virginia and fell into step beside her. She glanced at me with a smile on her face, but then gave her attention back to Thunder. It didn't take too long before we were standing on the outskirts of a circle of people, all sitting on logs and stumps in the place of proper chairs. I immediately became even more uncomfortable, as there didn't look to be much room left for three people to squeeze in.

There seemed to be more men around the fire than women, though I did notice a few. Two of these women were snuggled in next to some of the biggest guys I had ever seen. In fact, all of the younger men were gigantic, and took up the majority of the populace of this party. There were several older folks, though most of the party-goers couldn't be much older than me. They all sported dark hair in varying lengths, the men and women, and they all had the same russet skin tone as Thunder. I allowed my eyes to roam each of the faces that I could see in the light of the flames, and also took into account that I could not see over the fire to the people sitting beyond.

A man in a wheelchair noticed us first, from his vantage point to the left side of the fire. He had long hair, much longer than I was used to on a man of his age, silver streaking through the black. He let out an exclamation and beckoned us to join. "There they are," he pointed the three of us out and suddenly every eye was on us. "You didn't tell us you were bringing _two_ beautiful girls." He grinned and winked at us, and I managed a very nervous smile in return.

Thunder removed his arm from around my sister's waist, introducing us to the group. Virginia smiled and waved a little at everyone surrounding the fire, whereas I mostly looked at the ground or at the roaring waves further down the beach. I should have stayed home. I can't believe I got myself into this situation.

"You brought sisters?" A male voice called out from somewhere on the opposite side of the fire, "good job buddy!" I scowled at this comment and resigned myself to having a crappy night filled with awkward jokes that I was sincerely not going to appreciate.

Thunder chuckled and looked on the verge of a response when the man in the wheelchair spoke up again. "Leave those girls alone, you hear me boys?" There was some more chuckling before he spoke again. "My name is Billy Black, I'm one of the elders on the council here in La Push. You ladies are new to the area, so I'll let everyone else introduce themselves before we get started on the reason why we have this bonfire every year."

As I stood awkwardly, listening to everyone introduce themselves, I couldn't help but envy the closeness these people had. They seemed like one great big family, and coming from someone who had a dysfunctional family at best, the little green monster inside of me reared its ugly head. I wondered what it would have been like, growing up in such a tight-knit community.

One of the men, slightly older than me but nowhere near Billy's age, introduced himself as Sam Uley. He proceeded to introduce his fiancé, Emily, who I could barely see through the flames, though she looked beautiful. Sam also introduced all of the other younger people seated around the bonfire, but allowed the older folk to introduce themselves. This behaviour struck me as a little odd, but I shrugged it off as him being an extrovert.

Once the introductions were over, Billy gestured at us to take a seat. Thunder led Virginia over to a small log which was not occupied, and left me to fend for myself. _I fucking hate you, Virginia_. She did not even give me a second glance as she cuddled up to her boyfriend. "There's a seat free there by Jacob." Billy indicated a spot that I could not see due to the massive flames shooting up from the bonfire. I timidly walked around the outside of the circle, feeling the eyes on my every move. I noted that the only place Billy could have been talking about was directly beside one of the more massive guys that Sam had introduced.

I hesitantly stole up beside him and cleared my throat awkwardly. His face was turned away from me, but from the back he made my stomach swoop and my palms sweaty. _I hate it when they're attractive from the back._ His black hair was thick, but short. Even sitting down, I could tell that he was at least a foot taller than me. His arms were as thick around as my head, and he was not wearing a shirt. I felt my face heating up as I swept my eyes across the exposed skin that was lit up by the fire. _Damn, they sure do not make them like this back home._

At my awkward cough, Jacob turned his head and made direct eye-contact with me. My breath caught in my throat – he was one of the boys that I wasn't able to see from my vantage point across the fire, but now that his features were not obscured by smoke and flame I could have melted. His eyes were big and beautiful, and the prettiest shade of brown I think I had ever seen before. His cheekbones were high and proud, and his skin was the same russet-colour of Thunder's. A smile played on his lips as he continued to look into my eyes, and I could see something flash in his eyes – something suspicious.

I nervously inhaled and sat down beside the giant of a boy that Billy had seated me with. He didn't take his eyes off me. I nervously met his gaze once more, and he held his hand out to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

_The pleasure is all mine, if you keep on talking…_ I had only heard one sentence from this mysterious guy, but I wanted to hear more. I could listen to him talk for the rest of the night, screw the legends. "Thanks," I managed to sigh out as I took his hand and shook it. His grip was firm, strong, and so warm, yet gentle as if he was scared of breaking me. I was mentally berating myself for only being able to come up with one word when Billy called for everyone's attention. I reluctantly turned my gaze to the wizened old man's face, but I could still feel Jacob's gaze burning into me. I was tempted to look around and catch him staring, but at the same time I was too nervous to make eye contact with him again. _I've never felt such a thrill just from one look._

"Now, for our newcomers, I will explain the importance of our bonfire." Billy intoned as a hush fell over the gathered crowd. "Each year, we come to this beach to celebrate our history, to tell our stories, and to share knowledge that has been gained over the last twelve months." There were nods all around. I could just make out Virginia and Thunder, sitting a few logs down from me and Jacob. Virginia made eye-contact with me, winked, and gave me a subtle thumbs up. When we got home, there would be hell to pay for this, and she knew it.


End file.
